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The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist
The Fearless Benjamin Lay chronicles the transatlantic life and times of a singular and astonishing man-a Quaker dwarf who became one of the first ever to demand the total, unconditional emancipation of all enslaved Africans around the world. He performed public guerrilla theatre to shame slave masters, insisting that human bondage violated the fundamental principles of Christianity. He wrote a fiery, controversial book against bondage that Benjamin Franklin published in 1738. He lived in a cave, made his own clothes, refused to consume anything produced by slave labour, championed animal rights, and embraced vegetarianism. He acted on his ideals to create a new, practical, revolutionary way of life.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2017
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About the author
Marcus Rediker
31 books191 followersMarcus Rediker is Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh and Senior Research Fellow at the Collège d’études mondiales in Paris. He is the author of numerous prize-winning books, including The Many-Headed Hydra (with Peter Linebaugh), The Slave Ship, and The Amistad Rebellion. He produced the award-winning documentary film Ghosts of Amistad (Tony Buba, director), about how the Amistad Mutiny of 1839 lives on today in popular memory among the people of Sierra Leone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
November 10, 2017
He spent his later life living in a cave, a vegetarian and animal rights activist who made his own clothing. Yet his estate at his death in 1759 was valued at $117,000 (in today's dollars).
He was an early convert to abolition, causing disturbances that his Quaker meeting house to remove him from membership.
He was a dwarf who married another Little Person, Sarah, a well-liked Quaker preacher, while he himself was reviled for his extremism.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay by Marcus Rediker resurrects the forgotten man who dared to stand up to wealth and power with the message that all creatures are God's children, and that to own a slave is to be steeped in sin.
Lay went to extremes to get his message across. Lay had been pressuring a neighbor Quaker in Abington, PA over their owning a slave girl. One day Lay encountered the couple's son and invited him to his cave. When the distraught couple found their son with Lay, he chastised them saying, "You may now conceive of the sorrows you inflict upon the parents of the negroe [sic] girl you hold in slavery, for she was torn from them by avarice."
Without a formal education, Lay wrote a book that was printed by Benjamin Franklin. It was Deborah Franklin who commissioned a portrait of Lay, a gift for her husband. It resides in the National Portrait Museum.
Lay's book printed by Benjamin Franklin
This vivid portrait of a unique personality is interesting as history, but Lay's vision transcends the years, for his concerns remain with us to this day and are more relevant than ever. As society struggles with issues of wealth trumping morality, consumerism and its impact on the environment and human health, and the continual fight against hate groups that devalue certain human lives, Lay's life stands as an example of how to live according to one's values and one's faith.
I received a free book from the publisher through LibraryThing.
He was an early convert to abolition, causing disturbances that his Quaker meeting house to remove him from membership.
He was a dwarf who married another Little Person, Sarah, a well-liked Quaker preacher, while he himself was reviled for his extremism.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay by Marcus Rediker resurrects the forgotten man who dared to stand up to wealth and power with the message that all creatures are God's children, and that to own a slave is to be steeped in sin.
Lay went to extremes to get his message across. Lay had been pressuring a neighbor Quaker in Abington, PA over their owning a slave girl. One day Lay encountered the couple's son and invited him to his cave. When the distraught couple found their son with Lay, he chastised them saying, "You may now conceive of the sorrows you inflict upon the parents of the negroe [sic] girl you hold in slavery, for she was torn from them by avarice."
Without a formal education, Lay wrote a book that was printed by Benjamin Franklin. It was Deborah Franklin who commissioned a portrait of Lay, a gift for her husband. It resides in the National Portrait Museum.
Lay's book printed by Benjamin Franklin
This vivid portrait of a unique personality is interesting as history, but Lay's vision transcends the years, for his concerns remain with us to this day and are more relevant than ever. As society struggles with issues of wealth trumping morality, consumerism and its impact on the environment and human health, and the continual fight against hate groups that devalue certain human lives, Lay's life stands as an example of how to live according to one's values and one's faith.
I received a free book from the publisher through LibraryThing.
August 27, 2017
Marcus Rediker has written an important correction to the history of abolitionism with his biography The Fearless Benjamin Lay. Lay was born in 1682, a commoner who worked as a shepherd, a glove-maker, a sailor, and a merchant and lived in Essex, Barbados, and Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker, perhaps more authentically devout than the many Quakers with whom he shared fellowship.
Lay was a child of the Glorious Revolution. influenced by the democratic idealism that animated that victory for the rights of Englishmen. It was a time of religious radicalism and while many of the sects faded away, the Quakers emerged as one of the strongest nonconformist faiths in England…and of course, there was Pennsylvania, their refuge. The Quakers were important in the abolitionist movement, but during the lifetime of Benjamin Lay, they not only approved slavery, but the most powerful and influential Quakers in America were slaveholders. Lay, after witnessing the heinous treatment of slaves in Barbados was a confirmed abolitionist and fought with all his might to change the church.
In denouncing greed, avarice, inequality, and slavery, Lay was never temperate. In fact, he was an avowed activist who employed direct action guerrilla theater. One time he stood in the snow without shoes and socks on one foot. When people expressed concern, he asked them why they were not concerned for the slaves who had even less clothing than he. He was all activism, not organizing, constantly ostracized from his community. It pained him, but not as much as silence in the face of injustice would have pained him. In the 1730s, then he was told to be quiet, to keep the peace, he said a phrase that is dear and familiar to all who seek justice, “No justice, no peace.”
It is interesting to learn about Lay since his influence has been minimized and ignored in most histories of abolition. This reflects past and current biases for the educated, privileged reformer over the working class agitator. Lay is not the first nor will he be the last activist to disappear from history for not conforming to the ideal gentleman reformer. Look at the erasure of Bayard Rustin from civil rights history until society became more accepting of gay rights.
Rediker correctly identifies class prejudice as one reason that Lay’s contribution was unmentioned. I think there is another, though, that is perhaps more potent. Rediker explained how Lay came to his opposition to slavery, through his belief in the Golden Rule, the brotherhood of man, and opposition to violence. Lay’s abolitionism was about the equality of all, it was not rooted in pity for a lesser race. Many abolitionists opposed slavery with racial bias and animus, eager to ship slaves back to Africa and indifferent to their fate after manumission. They did not believe Blacks were equal, just that slavery was pernicious. Lay had none of that condescension. He was a radical believer in the equality of all. That is even more radical than his class politics.
It would be interesting to see how Benjamin Lay would do in Portland. He was an antinomian environmentalist like many of the local anarchists of Black Bloc and Antifa. A vegetarian, who boycotted products that exploited and oppressed slaves, an environmentalist who imagined living sustainably in peace with the earth and the animals, a supporter of human rights, opposed to the death penalty and, of course, slavery. He was feminist before the word existedHe thought capitalism was violence and was anti-capitalist. He opposed all authority. He was 300 years before his time.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay is an interesting book of a fascinating man. It suffers from some repetition and some over-explication. For example, the author reprints two chapters of Revelations with Lay’s interpretation, though the interpretation alone would have been adequate. His short biography of jobs and places is repeated often. It is also easy to get lost in the amazingly petty bureaucratic persecution of Benjamin Lay by one of the Quaker churches back in England, but that kind of pettiness does express how deeply his righteous anger offended those in the church.
To be honest, that pettiness struck me as familiar. My great-great grandfather was a Quaker abolitionist who violated their peace testimony by joining the Union Army. He was disowned by his church and to make their point complete, there is a line drawn through his marriage and birth record. They really went to that much effort to make their point. That’s why when I was reading the extraordinary lengths the church in England went to in order to inflict unhappiness on Lay and his wife, I was not surprised.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay will be released September 5th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
Lay was a child of the Glorious Revolution. influenced by the democratic idealism that animated that victory for the rights of Englishmen. It was a time of religious radicalism and while many of the sects faded away, the Quakers emerged as one of the strongest nonconformist faiths in England…and of course, there was Pennsylvania, their refuge. The Quakers were important in the abolitionist movement, but during the lifetime of Benjamin Lay, they not only approved slavery, but the most powerful and influential Quakers in America were slaveholders. Lay, after witnessing the heinous treatment of slaves in Barbados was a confirmed abolitionist and fought with all his might to change the church.
In denouncing greed, avarice, inequality, and slavery, Lay was never temperate. In fact, he was an avowed activist who employed direct action guerrilla theater. One time he stood in the snow without shoes and socks on one foot. When people expressed concern, he asked them why they were not concerned for the slaves who had even less clothing than he. He was all activism, not organizing, constantly ostracized from his community. It pained him, but not as much as silence in the face of injustice would have pained him. In the 1730s, then he was told to be quiet, to keep the peace, he said a phrase that is dear and familiar to all who seek justice, “No justice, no peace.”
It is interesting to learn about Lay since his influence has been minimized and ignored in most histories of abolition. This reflects past and current biases for the educated, privileged reformer over the working class agitator. Lay is not the first nor will he be the last activist to disappear from history for not conforming to the ideal gentleman reformer. Look at the erasure of Bayard Rustin from civil rights history until society became more accepting of gay rights.
Rediker correctly identifies class prejudice as one reason that Lay’s contribution was unmentioned. I think there is another, though, that is perhaps more potent. Rediker explained how Lay came to his opposition to slavery, through his belief in the Golden Rule, the brotherhood of man, and opposition to violence. Lay’s abolitionism was about the equality of all, it was not rooted in pity for a lesser race. Many abolitionists opposed slavery with racial bias and animus, eager to ship slaves back to Africa and indifferent to their fate after manumission. They did not believe Blacks were equal, just that slavery was pernicious. Lay had none of that condescension. He was a radical believer in the equality of all. That is even more radical than his class politics.
It would be interesting to see how Benjamin Lay would do in Portland. He was an antinomian environmentalist like many of the local anarchists of Black Bloc and Antifa. A vegetarian, who boycotted products that exploited and oppressed slaves, an environmentalist who imagined living sustainably in peace with the earth and the animals, a supporter of human rights, opposed to the death penalty and, of course, slavery. He was feminist before the word existedHe thought capitalism was violence and was anti-capitalist. He opposed all authority. He was 300 years before his time.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay is an interesting book of a fascinating man. It suffers from some repetition and some over-explication. For example, the author reprints two chapters of Revelations with Lay’s interpretation, though the interpretation alone would have been adequate. His short biography of jobs and places is repeated often. It is also easy to get lost in the amazingly petty bureaucratic persecution of Benjamin Lay by one of the Quaker churches back in England, but that kind of pettiness does express how deeply his righteous anger offended those in the church.
To be honest, that pettiness struck me as familiar. My great-great grandfather was a Quaker abolitionist who violated their peace testimony by joining the Union Army. He was disowned by his church and to make their point complete, there is a line drawn through his marriage and birth record. They really went to that much effort to make their point. That’s why when I was reading the extraordinary lengths the church in England went to in order to inflict unhappiness on Lay and his wife, I was not surprised.
The Fearless Benjamin Lay will be released September 5th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
July 4, 2017
To honor July 4th I am reviewing a biography of a true American original whose life expands our knowledge of the history of American abolitionism, Quakerism and alternative lifestyles. Benjamin Lay was a very independent man who should be celebrated while we celebrate American independence. "Let your lives speak" is an old Quaker motto. Lay certainly did that with his own life. I received an ARC of The Fearless Benjamin Lay by Marcus Rediker from the publisher via Edelweiss in return for this review.
The first Quaker to propose immediate abolition of slavery was Benjamin Lay, and he made this radical proposal in colonial Pennsylvania in 1738. Lay was also a vegetarian and an animal rights advocate. He pioneered the boycott strategy by boycotting all products produced by slaves. He not only grew his own food, but made his own clothing woven from plant products and walked everywhere because he was opposed to the exploitation of horses. He treated his wife, Sarah, as an equal. So he had a very modern sensibility, and could be considered very much ahead of his time.
I feel that I owe a debt to Rediker for introducing me to Benjamin Lay whose radicalism and lifestyle can be appreciated by 21st century progressives.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
The first Quaker to propose immediate abolition of slavery was Benjamin Lay, and he made this radical proposal in colonial Pennsylvania in 1738. Lay was also a vegetarian and an animal rights advocate. He pioneered the boycott strategy by boycotting all products produced by slaves. He not only grew his own food, but made his own clothing woven from plant products and walked everywhere because he was opposed to the exploitation of horses. He treated his wife, Sarah, as an equal. So he had a very modern sensibility, and could be considered very much ahead of his time.
I feel that I owe a debt to Rediker for introducing me to Benjamin Lay whose radicalism and lifestyle can be appreciated by 21st century progressives.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
September 10, 2017
Benjamin Lay: A Quaker Dwarf who became the first Revolutionary Abolitionist. He was born in Essex England in 1682 and traveled to Barbados and Philadelphia . He used metaphors of sheep and lambs to admonish Quakers and others to free their slaves.
He often disrupted church meetings to make his point in his beliefs. He even did theactrics to get the attention of a crowd.
By trade he was a Glover and a book seller. He also traveled the seas in earlier days.
Benjamin married Sarah, she was also a dwarf and a Quaker. She often spoke in meetings and was against slavery.
After Sarah died Benjamin grew all his own food and became a total vegetarian.
He and Benjamin Franklin were good friends. Mr. Franklin also printed pamphlets on Antislavery for Benjamin Lay.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First-Reads.
This was such and interesting book. I never knew there were Abolitionists in the 1700's
He often disrupted church meetings to make his point in his beliefs. He even did theactrics to get the attention of a crowd.
By trade he was a Glover and a book seller. He also traveled the seas in earlier days.
Benjamin married Sarah, she was also a dwarf and a Quaker. She often spoke in meetings and was against slavery.
After Sarah died Benjamin grew all his own food and became a total vegetarian.
He and Benjamin Franklin were good friends. Mr. Franklin also printed pamphlets on Antislavery for Benjamin Lay.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First-Reads.
This was such and interesting book. I never knew there were Abolitionists in the 1700's
December 9, 2017
Absolutely fascinating biography of a bold, tender hearted and just man. Inspiration to all social justice activist today. If he could, we can.
January 25, 2018
I became aware of The Fearless Benjamin Lay when I caught wind of an event with the author in my city. The event highlighted Benjamin as a Quaker, Dwarf, and abolitionist, so my interest was already piqued. When I sought out a description of the book and found that Lay was also an animal liberation proponent, it intrigued me even further. Benjamin Lay is someone that reactionaries would consider a dangerous, uber-radical, mega-snowflake by today's standards. It is truly remarkable that he held so strongly to so many radical convictions centuries ago- especially in a climate where he had few to no allies.
I want to note something before I get to deep into this review. I enjoyed this book and my review is mostly positive. But, the author makes a mistake that many white people make when writing about slavery. He centers whiteness. I do not mean that it is bad to talk about white people- obviously it is not in a biography about a white person. What I mean is that he makes statements- including in the title- that Lay was "the first revolutionary abolitionist." Two words are missing from that sentence: "documented" and "white." It may leave the sentence seeming not as exciting or sexy, but the way it is currently constructed plays into white histories of slavery that completely erase how enslaved and free Africans and Black people in general resisted slavery from the very beginning, but their efforts were violently oppressed and not documented. White abolitionists were absolutely critical to the struggle, no doubt. But, they were never the first.
I considered knocking off two stars for this, but Rediker's "Conclusion" and "Author's Note" sections won me back over to 4 stars. He is not ignorant of these issues. He simply didn't express them well. The conclusion and author's note are the best part of this book. I assume Rediker kept them separate so that he could be objective in his biographical account of Lay's life. I would have preferred more of the analysis in the conclusion placed throughout the rest of the book to help offset what may come off to some as a lack of understanding of the bigger picture.
Rediker undoubtedly did extensive research for this book, digging into histories that I am sure were not easy to access. One of the more surprising things for me about the book was how much Quakers were into slavery at one point. In many radical and anarchist circles, we learn that we got consensus-based and some other kinds of egalitarian organizing methods from Quakers. The fact that so many of them went out of their way to not only defend slavery, but to silence all opposition to it, was new knowledge for me.
Benjamin Lay was little person with kyphosis of the spine and as a result, already dealt with disability based discrimination. This and his working class status absolutely informed much of his behavior and values, which Rediker aptly points out, exemplify a more accurate picture of abolitionism than what some historians portray. Abolitionists tended more to be people of lesser means rather than rich academics that are often highlighted today. Rediker also notes Lay's disability, class, and passion being part of the reason he is not remembered as an important abolitionist or American hero. Our country idolizes racist slavers like Thomas Jefferson and forgets abolitionist, animal rights promoting, disabled, poor, law breaking, Quakers like Benjamin Lay.
Lay was a deeply religious man and this definitely informed much of his thinking, but not in the usual way we are used to hearing about it doing so. Benjamin not only opposed enslaving people, but also opposed men holding high religious positions who used those positions to accumulate power and wealth. He opposed the exploitation of nonhuman animals, choosing to walk everywhere rather than travel by horse and choosing to eat a mostly vegan diet where he grew most of his food. The only animal products he consumed were honey from the bees in his apiary and some animal dairy. Benjamin wore modest clothing and refused to partake in products that were produced through slave labor such as sugar. Lay did all of these things- that many people in the developed world with internet access and a credit card find difficult to do today (self included)- in the 17-1800s.
I will not give away everything told in the book that Benjamin Lay does in his long struggle against pro-slavery Quakers and other slavery proponents. But, I will mention my favorite story, that is nestled in the end of the book as it is a good example of his determination and creativity in his mostly nonviolent activism. Lay attempts to speak to a white couple about their enslavement of a young Black girl. He tries to explain to them how slavery rips families apart and destroys lives. Theyrefuse to listen. Lay eventually sees their child alone and invites the child to his dwelling. He spends time entertaining the happy child for the entirety of the day until finally the parents come running to him, crying that their child is missing. He listens to their story and then tells them that he has had their child all along and now perhaps they understand a tiny fraction of what their enslaved girl's parents must feel at the loss of their daughter.
Benjamin's antics are relentless, unapologetic, and unwavering in the face of extreme resistance, excommunication, loss of community, and ridicule on top of what he already dealt with as a dwarf. His ideas influenced generations after him- including the children of men who would stop at nothing to stop him. Two sons of one such enemy of Lay's both grew up to be abolitionists and ethical vegetarians through inspiration from Lay. The Quakers eventually came around and acknowledged the horrors of slavery- yet they still held through respectability politics that Lay deserved what he got. Lay was the passionate, relentless voice that made many others seem reasonable. He paid the price and really never got credit or redemption he deserved. He made space for white folks that came after him to criticize slavery in real and serious ways- not just the welfarist terms they used previously (treating slaves "well" but supporting slavery.) As Rediker states, we cannot know due to lack of documentation how far Lay went in his hands-on liberation activities with enslaved Africans. Yet, this book offers part of a much larger picture and Rediker definitely does Benjamin Lay's life and work justice.
I want to note something before I get to deep into this review. I enjoyed this book and my review is mostly positive. But, the author makes a mistake that many white people make when writing about slavery. He centers whiteness. I do not mean that it is bad to talk about white people- obviously it is not in a biography about a white person. What I mean is that he makes statements- including in the title- that Lay was "the first revolutionary abolitionist." Two words are missing from that sentence: "documented" and "white." It may leave the sentence seeming not as exciting or sexy, but the way it is currently constructed plays into white histories of slavery that completely erase how enslaved and free Africans and Black people in general resisted slavery from the very beginning, but their efforts were violently oppressed and not documented. White abolitionists were absolutely critical to the struggle, no doubt. But, they were never the first.
I considered knocking off two stars for this, but Rediker's "Conclusion" and "Author's Note" sections won me back over to 4 stars. He is not ignorant of these issues. He simply didn't express them well. The conclusion and author's note are the best part of this book. I assume Rediker kept them separate so that he could be objective in his biographical account of Lay's life. I would have preferred more of the analysis in the conclusion placed throughout the rest of the book to help offset what may come off to some as a lack of understanding of the bigger picture.
Rediker undoubtedly did extensive research for this book, digging into histories that I am sure were not easy to access. One of the more surprising things for me about the book was how much Quakers were into slavery at one point. In many radical and anarchist circles, we learn that we got consensus-based and some other kinds of egalitarian organizing methods from Quakers. The fact that so many of them went out of their way to not only defend slavery, but to silence all opposition to it, was new knowledge for me.
Benjamin Lay was little person with kyphosis of the spine and as a result, already dealt with disability based discrimination. This and his working class status absolutely informed much of his behavior and values, which Rediker aptly points out, exemplify a more accurate picture of abolitionism than what some historians portray. Abolitionists tended more to be people of lesser means rather than rich academics that are often highlighted today. Rediker also notes Lay's disability, class, and passion being part of the reason he is not remembered as an important abolitionist or American hero. Our country idolizes racist slavers like Thomas Jefferson and forgets abolitionist, animal rights promoting, disabled, poor, law breaking, Quakers like Benjamin Lay.
Lay was a deeply religious man and this definitely informed much of his thinking, but not in the usual way we are used to hearing about it doing so. Benjamin not only opposed enslaving people, but also opposed men holding high religious positions who used those positions to accumulate power and wealth. He opposed the exploitation of nonhuman animals, choosing to walk everywhere rather than travel by horse and choosing to eat a mostly vegan diet where he grew most of his food. The only animal products he consumed were honey from the bees in his apiary and some animal dairy. Benjamin wore modest clothing and refused to partake in products that were produced through slave labor such as sugar. Lay did all of these things- that many people in the developed world with internet access and a credit card find difficult to do today (self included)- in the 17-1800s.
I will not give away everything told in the book that Benjamin Lay does in his long struggle against pro-slavery Quakers and other slavery proponents. But, I will mention my favorite story, that is nestled in the end of the book as it is a good example of his determination and creativity in his mostly nonviolent activism. Lay attempts to speak to a white couple about their enslavement of a young Black girl. He tries to explain to them how slavery rips families apart and destroys lives. Theyrefuse to listen. Lay eventually sees their child alone and invites the child to his dwelling. He spends time entertaining the happy child for the entirety of the day until finally the parents come running to him, crying that their child is missing. He listens to their story and then tells them that he has had their child all along and now perhaps they understand a tiny fraction of what their enslaved girl's parents must feel at the loss of their daughter.
Benjamin's antics are relentless, unapologetic, and unwavering in the face of extreme resistance, excommunication, loss of community, and ridicule on top of what he already dealt with as a dwarf. His ideas influenced generations after him- including the children of men who would stop at nothing to stop him. Two sons of one such enemy of Lay's both grew up to be abolitionists and ethical vegetarians through inspiration from Lay. The Quakers eventually came around and acknowledged the horrors of slavery- yet they still held through respectability politics that Lay deserved what he got. Lay was the passionate, relentless voice that made many others seem reasonable. He paid the price and really never got credit or redemption he deserved. He made space for white folks that came after him to criticize slavery in real and serious ways- not just the welfarist terms they used previously (treating slaves "well" but supporting slavery.) As Rediker states, we cannot know due to lack of documentation how far Lay went in his hands-on liberation activities with enslaved Africans. Yet, this book offers part of a much larger picture and Rediker definitely does Benjamin Lay's life and work justice.
March 8, 2024
Dear Prof. Rediker:
I'm writing this review as a letter in an effort to be tender-hearted, as our hero Benjamin Lay would have wished. You and I agree that Lay was a total badass. Ahead of his time, radical, uncompromising, someone who truly lived into his values. We should totally name more things after Lay here in the US, rather than after folks who actively engaged with the slave trade like a lot of previous presidents or who lost the Civil War. I have some questions for you, which I offer in a spirit of friendship and gentle correction:
Did you know it would make your book more accessible to write out all the abbreviations you use for the various Quaker meetings? I know there's a list of abbreviations in the back, but it is burdensome to be confronted with abbreviations I've never seen before and probably will not use again. CMM, AMM, CTWM, EQM! See what I mean? Could you just write Colchester Monthly Meeting instead? It will make your prose easier to read and more accessible.
Why did you choose to always refer to Lay by his first name? In the earlier parts where loads of the folks you're writing about are all named Lay, this made sense - to help us keep track of Benjamin vs his dad vs his granddad and so on. Even to help us keep track of Benjamin and Sarah, who shared a surname after their marriage. Pretty much everyone else in your book gets called Firstname Lastname, and then Lastname thereafter, though. Why is this? I think it's pretty standard to use surname only in this style of writing, but please let me know if I am wrong on that front. I see the use of Lay's firstname throughout the book as potentially problematic, as I think this practice runs the risk of infantilizing him. I mention this because this is a form of oppression dwarves / Little People often encounter, or at least, that's my understanding (I don't happen to be a dwarf).
I do, however, live with a spinal anomaly, and I cringed every time you refered to Lay as being a "hunchback." Why was this OK for you when your author's note makes it clear you have carefully chosen the words dwarf and Little Person for Lay, in line with recommendations from the organization Little People of America? Indeed, in the author's note you use the clinical term kyphosis, which I advocate is better terminology. I have vivid memories of physicians discussing my "deformities" as an adolescent, with regard to my curved spine, and now that I am older, I would never let someone describe me in that way. Hunchback falls into the same category. I believe you want to do better. (Maya Angelou says we all do the best we can until we know better. Then, when we know better, we can do better.)
Sincerely,
DC
I'm writing this review as a letter in an effort to be tender-hearted, as our hero Benjamin Lay would have wished. You and I agree that Lay was a total badass. Ahead of his time, radical, uncompromising, someone who truly lived into his values. We should totally name more things after Lay here in the US, rather than after folks who actively engaged with the slave trade like a lot of previous presidents or who lost the Civil War. I have some questions for you, which I offer in a spirit of friendship and gentle correction:
Did you know it would make your book more accessible to write out all the abbreviations you use for the various Quaker meetings? I know there's a list of abbreviations in the back, but it is burdensome to be confronted with abbreviations I've never seen before and probably will not use again. CMM, AMM, CTWM, EQM! See what I mean? Could you just write Colchester Monthly Meeting instead? It will make your prose easier to read and more accessible.
Why did you choose to always refer to Lay by his first name? In the earlier parts where loads of the folks you're writing about are all named Lay, this made sense - to help us keep track of Benjamin vs his dad vs his granddad and so on. Even to help us keep track of Benjamin and Sarah, who shared a surname after their marriage. Pretty much everyone else in your book gets called Firstname Lastname, and then Lastname thereafter, though. Why is this? I think it's pretty standard to use surname only in this style of writing, but please let me know if I am wrong on that front. I see the use of Lay's firstname throughout the book as potentially problematic, as I think this practice runs the risk of infantilizing him. I mention this because this is a form of oppression dwarves / Little People often encounter, or at least, that's my understanding (I don't happen to be a dwarf).
I do, however, live with a spinal anomaly, and I cringed every time you refered to Lay as being a "hunchback." Why was this OK for you when your author's note makes it clear you have carefully chosen the words dwarf and Little Person for Lay, in line with recommendations from the organization Little People of America? Indeed, in the author's note you use the clinical term kyphosis, which I advocate is better terminology. I have vivid memories of physicians discussing my "deformities" as an adolescent, with regard to my curved spine, and now that I am older, I would never let someone describe me in that way. Hunchback falls into the same category. I believe you want to do better. (Maya Angelou says we all do the best we can until we know better. Then, when we know better, we can do better.)
Sincerely,
DC
August 14, 2017
This was a case of the author including every scrap of information he found on the person. The overview at the beginning turned out to be the most interesting part, in my opinion. I was expecting a book about what Benjamin Lay did in the fight against slavery, but most of that information was adequately summarized in the overview.
The book also talked about how many chimneys his parent's house had (and what this indicated about how much money they had), notes that he made in the margins of the books he read, and every single time he got in trouble with the Quakers. Much of the book was about how he was an arrogant, self-righteous man who would denounce preachers and do publicity stunts to make his points. He ticked off the Quakers to the point that he was kicked out by them pretty much wherever he moved.
He finally put some of that energy into fighting slavery at a time when only a few others had started to speak out against it. He did some publicity stunts. He wrote a long, train-of-thought book that required the author to summarize and interpret so we could get some idea of what he said. Lay seems like a hard fellow to like, but he did help shift the Quakers toward standing against slave trading and later against slave owning. Lay also stood for treating animals with the same rights as humans. He's an interesting fellow, but I guess I found it a little repetitive to hear about every instance recorded of him denouncing yet another Quaker preacher.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
The book also talked about how many chimneys his parent's house had (and what this indicated about how much money they had), notes that he made in the margins of the books he read, and every single time he got in trouble with the Quakers. Much of the book was about how he was an arrogant, self-righteous man who would denounce preachers and do publicity stunts to make his points. He ticked off the Quakers to the point that he was kicked out by them pretty much wherever he moved.
He finally put some of that energy into fighting slavery at a time when only a few others had started to speak out against it. He did some publicity stunts. He wrote a long, train-of-thought book that required the author to summarize and interpret so we could get some idea of what he said. Lay seems like a hard fellow to like, but he did help shift the Quakers toward standing against slave trading and later against slave owning. Lay also stood for treating animals with the same rights as humans. He's an interesting fellow, but I guess I found it a little repetitive to hear about every instance recorded of him denouncing yet another Quaker preacher.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
January 10, 2018
incredible man, well worth reading, races along. There is a part near the beginning where you get way too much Quaker bureaucracy and it needs some repetition deleting in the final section, but by gum what a man, what a life. If in doubt, read this! Both historically accurate research and a fast writing style, i'll definitely read more by this author. Will make you cry at the end. A complete hero. If you buy from Verso, you get ebook free with print book and you can download it forever after from their website
May 26, 2022
This was one of the most fascinating historical figures I've ever learned about and it makes me mad that the reason he isn't more well known is that the racist Quakers he pissed off tried to bury his impact. He was such a colourful and passionate person and he should be more well known.
November 11, 2020
This is likely going to be my favorite book that I've read in 2020. This is also going to be a long and rambling review.
I found this book quite accidentally while browsing for books on Amazon about Quakers. I was raised by my Jewish grandmother and my Quaker grandfather. For a while I gravitated more towards my grandmother's beliefs, and then into atheism, but I've been feeling a pull towards the Quaker side of my childhood lately.
My grandfather was a freaking badass Quaker. This was a man who believed Nazism was evil to the point that he volunteered for the army, even though he didn't believe in turning guns against people. So he was a medic and ran TOWARD the gunfire, all without having a weapon of his own.
I loved going to Quaker meetings with him. He went to an unprogrammed meeting, which meant that there was no designated preacher and no preplanned agenda. No singing. No sermon. We'd just sit there in silence until someone felt moved to speak. Then there would be more silence. I've not felt that quality of silence until I took up meditating as an adult.
I come from a long line of Quakers; in fact, some of my ancestors undoubtedly knew Benjamin Lay (I have an ancestor who was a member of the Abington Meeting at this time period until she married her husband and joined his, so I KNOW she had to have known Benjamin Lay). And yet I have never heard of this man until that search on Amazon. How in the world have he and his contributions been lost to history?
Benjamin Lay was a radical. He was so far ahead of the curve that we're still trying to catch up to some of his ideals today. He didn't care whom he ticked off and was unafraid of speaking truth to power, even though it often meant that he suffered painful consequences. He knew that slavery was wrong, and he wasn't about to sit idly by and watch it corrupt his beloved religious beliefs.
It's often assumed that Quakers were anti-slavery forever, but that sadly isn't the case. Slaveholding wasn't considered a bad thing by many Quakers, especially the Philadelphia elite. Slaveholding was not something for which you could be read out of a meeting (the Quaker form of excommunication) until 1776. Benjamin Lay, decades before all of this, saw how wrong slavery was and spent the rest of his life trying to tell everyone just how wrong it was. He was nearly alone in his crusade, surrounded by only a small handful of close friends (including his wife, Sarah, until her death). He was ridiculed and mocked relentlessly. He was written out of four separate meetings, but he kept persevering, because he knew that his cause was just. A lot of people would have given up at some point. Benjamin Lay never did.
I kept thinking about how Lay reminded me of James Nayler, who was another Quaker badass (and was pretty much martyred for his beliefs; after a hellacious imprisonment, he died a broken man). Lay had the "primitive" Quaker beliefs that weren't popular with his contemporary Quakers, and still aren't popular in today's Quaker circles (many Quakers have gone to programmed and resemble conservative evangelical churches rather than the unprogrammed Quaker meeting my grandfather attended). He was passionate and wild and driven, and I loved every minute of learning about his life.
Lay wasn't dedicated to just one cause, although he seemed to spend most of his energy on the pressing need for immediate abolition. He was also a feminist, a vegetarian, an animal rights advocate, and saw everyone as being equal, regardless of race, colour, or creed. He lived in a cave for twenty years, surrounded by his cherished books. He made his own clothes and boycotted anything that was produced with slave labor (tea, sugar, etc). To put it in the words of my fourteen year old niece, this guy was WOKE.
Lay was a little person, which only increased the number of insults he received. He was often dismissed simply because of his size, but he could hit back with the best of them, verbally speaking. He was born into a relatively poor family and received little schooling, but he educated himself, and he was brilliant, even if he wasn't considered "sophisticated."
You know the rhetorical question of if you could go to dinner and speak with anyone in all of history, who would it be? Winner winner, faux chicken dinner right here.
Just reading about Lay's fiery devotion to his ideals wants me to find the nearest unprogrammed Quaker meeting and take a road trip just so I can attend meeting for the first time in over twenty years. I want to see if anyone there has that passion, too. I saw it in my grandfather sometimes, and I want it.
The book isn't perfect, but Lay is amazing. This should be required reading for every Quaker, and everyone else should read it, too.
I found this book quite accidentally while browsing for books on Amazon about Quakers. I was raised by my Jewish grandmother and my Quaker grandfather. For a while I gravitated more towards my grandmother's beliefs, and then into atheism, but I've been feeling a pull towards the Quaker side of my childhood lately.
My grandfather was a freaking badass Quaker. This was a man who believed Nazism was evil to the point that he volunteered for the army, even though he didn't believe in turning guns against people. So he was a medic and ran TOWARD the gunfire, all without having a weapon of his own.
I loved going to Quaker meetings with him. He went to an unprogrammed meeting, which meant that there was no designated preacher and no preplanned agenda. No singing. No sermon. We'd just sit there in silence until someone felt moved to speak. Then there would be more silence. I've not felt that quality of silence until I took up meditating as an adult.
I come from a long line of Quakers; in fact, some of my ancestors undoubtedly knew Benjamin Lay (I have an ancestor who was a member of the Abington Meeting at this time period until she married her husband and joined his, so I KNOW she had to have known Benjamin Lay). And yet I have never heard of this man until that search on Amazon. How in the world have he and his contributions been lost to history?
Benjamin Lay was a radical. He was so far ahead of the curve that we're still trying to catch up to some of his ideals today. He didn't care whom he ticked off and was unafraid of speaking truth to power, even though it often meant that he suffered painful consequences. He knew that slavery was wrong, and he wasn't about to sit idly by and watch it corrupt his beloved religious beliefs.
It's often assumed that Quakers were anti-slavery forever, but that sadly isn't the case. Slaveholding wasn't considered a bad thing by many Quakers, especially the Philadelphia elite. Slaveholding was not something for which you could be read out of a meeting (the Quaker form of excommunication) until 1776. Benjamin Lay, decades before all of this, saw how wrong slavery was and spent the rest of his life trying to tell everyone just how wrong it was. He was nearly alone in his crusade, surrounded by only a small handful of close friends (including his wife, Sarah, until her death). He was ridiculed and mocked relentlessly. He was written out of four separate meetings, but he kept persevering, because he knew that his cause was just. A lot of people would have given up at some point. Benjamin Lay never did.
I kept thinking about how Lay reminded me of James Nayler, who was another Quaker badass (and was pretty much martyred for his beliefs; after a hellacious imprisonment, he died a broken man). Lay had the "primitive" Quaker beliefs that weren't popular with his contemporary Quakers, and still aren't popular in today's Quaker circles (many Quakers have gone to programmed and resemble conservative evangelical churches rather than the unprogrammed Quaker meeting my grandfather attended). He was passionate and wild and driven, and I loved every minute of learning about his life.
Lay wasn't dedicated to just one cause, although he seemed to spend most of his energy on the pressing need for immediate abolition. He was also a feminist, a vegetarian, an animal rights advocate, and saw everyone as being equal, regardless of race, colour, or creed. He lived in a cave for twenty years, surrounded by his cherished books. He made his own clothes and boycotted anything that was produced with slave labor (tea, sugar, etc). To put it in the words of my fourteen year old niece, this guy was WOKE.
Lay was a little person, which only increased the number of insults he received. He was often dismissed simply because of his size, but he could hit back with the best of them, verbally speaking. He was born into a relatively poor family and received little schooling, but he educated himself, and he was brilliant, even if he wasn't considered "sophisticated."
You know the rhetorical question of if you could go to dinner and speak with anyone in all of history, who would it be? Winner winner, faux chicken dinner right here.
Just reading about Lay's fiery devotion to his ideals wants me to find the nearest unprogrammed Quaker meeting and take a road trip just so I can attend meeting for the first time in over twenty years. I want to see if anyone there has that passion, too. I saw it in my grandfather sometimes, and I want it.
The book isn't perfect, but Lay is amazing. This should be required reading for every Quaker, and everyone else should read it, too.
February 7, 2021
Marcus Rediker’s The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist (Kindle Edition) is a decently written biography of an early voice in what would become the American Abolitionist movement. By the end I am not sure I was convinced that Mr. Lay was more than a noisy link in the chain that would end in, depending on your point of view, The Civil War or the end of Slavery. Like Rediker, I will get this out of the way quickly. Benjamin Lay was a hunchback and a dwarf. These facts are important given how cruel people can be to each other and how much extra cruelty he would have suffered in his formative years.
Completing his background, He was English born in January of 1682. Originally a shepherd, he apprenticed as glove maker. Later he ran away and became a sailor. After some years at sea he joined the merchant community in Barbados. Benjamin Lay ultimately came to America.
Early in his life he became a Quaker and it is this association that is central to the narrative of Benjamin Lay’s life. In its more original form Quakerism promoted public protest, what we would call street theater. This street theater was part of a larger philosophy of antinomianism. Wiki tells us this is: “any view which rejects laws or legalism and is against moral, religious or social norms (Latin: mores), or is at least considered to do so.” That is, it is more moral to act out against the immoral than to follow law or common courtesy.
In the practice of Quaker street theater, nudity was not unknown, as was loud speech and various dramas. Illegal activity was not typical, but un-nerving or aggravating others was part of the point.
By Benjamin Lay’s time this kind of protest was frowned upon and could result in the heavy-handed practitioner being excluded from the Meeting House. Exclusion form a Quaker community could among other things make it hard for a follower to obtain the documents needed for a Quaker wedding. Benjamin would marry a fellow Quaker and this requirement would add to their problems given his aggressive style of antinomianism.
The bulk of the book will detail how Benjamin Lay made himself a loud voice and personal exemplar in the early years of abolitionism. It offended him that recognized leaders within the Quaker community were living rich lives by their trade in slaves. Benjamin was an aggressive and loud voice against the practice, the trade and the elevation of Quakers on the basis of financial status. In fact, he was not in favor of Quakers gaining financial status.
Rediker also documents that Benjamin Lay was consistent in living his beliefs. He lived simply in a cave, eating what he could grow. He became a vegetarian out of care for the lives of animals. What money he did accumulated he freely shared out with others. He talked and wrote the talk, he also lived it.
Over all this is an interesting story about a good man who should not be forgotten. How effective he was beyond his time and his community is addressed by Rediker. Still, there is more to Benjamin’s direct and indirect reach. He was a voice but neither the first nor the only. For all its repetitions, and efforts to dramatize, Rediker serves Benjamin well enough but perhaps not so much his reader.
Completing his background, He was English born in January of 1682. Originally a shepherd, he apprenticed as glove maker. Later he ran away and became a sailor. After some years at sea he joined the merchant community in Barbados. Benjamin Lay ultimately came to America.
Early in his life he became a Quaker and it is this association that is central to the narrative of Benjamin Lay’s life. In its more original form Quakerism promoted public protest, what we would call street theater. This street theater was part of a larger philosophy of antinomianism. Wiki tells us this is: “any view which rejects laws or legalism and is against moral, religious or social norms (Latin: mores), or is at least considered to do so.” That is, it is more moral to act out against the immoral than to follow law or common courtesy.
In the practice of Quaker street theater, nudity was not unknown, as was loud speech and various dramas. Illegal activity was not typical, but un-nerving or aggravating others was part of the point.
By Benjamin Lay’s time this kind of protest was frowned upon and could result in the heavy-handed practitioner being excluded from the Meeting House. Exclusion form a Quaker community could among other things make it hard for a follower to obtain the documents needed for a Quaker wedding. Benjamin would marry a fellow Quaker and this requirement would add to their problems given his aggressive style of antinomianism.
The bulk of the book will detail how Benjamin Lay made himself a loud voice and personal exemplar in the early years of abolitionism. It offended him that recognized leaders within the Quaker community were living rich lives by their trade in slaves. Benjamin was an aggressive and loud voice against the practice, the trade and the elevation of Quakers on the basis of financial status. In fact, he was not in favor of Quakers gaining financial status.
Rediker also documents that Benjamin Lay was consistent in living his beliefs. He lived simply in a cave, eating what he could grow. He became a vegetarian out of care for the lives of animals. What money he did accumulated he freely shared out with others. He talked and wrote the talk, he also lived it.
Over all this is an interesting story about a good man who should not be forgotten. How effective he was beyond his time and his community is addressed by Rediker. Still, there is more to Benjamin’s direct and indirect reach. He was a voice but neither the first nor the only. For all its repetitions, and efforts to dramatize, Rediker serves Benjamin well enough but perhaps not so much his reader.
September 12, 2017
"Benjamin's prophecy speaks to our times. He predicted that for Quakers, and for America, slave-keeping would be a long destructive burden."
"Benjamin Lay was, in sum, a class-conscious, gender-conscious, race-conscious, environmentally conscious vegetarian ultra-radical. Most readers of this book would think this combination of beliefs possible only since the 1960s, two full centuries after Lay's remarkable life ended."
Really fascinating bio of a truly outstanding personality. He used street theatre, writing, speaking in Meeting, teaching by example and embarrassing his 'betters' to get his concerns out to the population at large. I really enjoyed reading about his life and exploits.
However, the author doesn't seem to understand that midgets and dwarves are medically separate diagnoses whose owners look nothing alike, and whether or not they are politically correct, they must be used properly for the readers' proper comprehension.
Also the author seems to be lukewarm to the suggestion that Lay's "zeal and fury" were what allowed the Friendly Persuasion to work later. There has always had to be the loud, hard push that overcomes the initial inertia. It has always been so. The job of the first wave of change is to get your attention.
Anyway, basically just loved the book.
"Benjamin Lay was, in sum, a class-conscious, gender-conscious, race-conscious, environmentally conscious vegetarian ultra-radical. Most readers of this book would think this combination of beliefs possible only since the 1960s, two full centuries after Lay's remarkable life ended."
Really fascinating bio of a truly outstanding personality. He used street theatre, writing, speaking in Meeting, teaching by example and embarrassing his 'betters' to get his concerns out to the population at large. I really enjoyed reading about his life and exploits.
However, the author doesn't seem to understand that midgets and dwarves are medically separate diagnoses whose owners look nothing alike, and whether or not they are politically correct, they must be used properly for the readers' proper comprehension.
Also the author seems to be lukewarm to the suggestion that Lay's "zeal and fury" were what allowed the Friendly Persuasion to work later. There has always had to be the loud, hard push that overcomes the initial inertia. It has always been so. The job of the first wave of change is to get your attention.
Anyway, basically just loved the book.
January 29, 2023
This was a solid and fairly interesting biography of an early abolitionist. It was also pretty short (primarily because of a lack of documentary evidence, I think) and while I think there are lots of areas that Rediker expands on that are interesting, the one that drew me to this book in the first place (disability) is left pretty uncommented on--which raises some questions about his claim that this is related to disability studies, especially given that the comments he DOES make are along the lines of "his disability never held him back!" which I guess could count more broadly but I do prefer more critical disability studies and am more interested in disability more generally during the period, including on ships (a dangerous workplace generally, so you see a lot of folks missing limbs etc.,) and things of that nature.
It was still an interesting book, and can be useful for disrupting narratives around enslavement and abolition in the colonial period. It was just limited by the documentary record and the avenues that Rediker chose to focus on, and I think could have been expanded in a couple of ways that would have let us see the richness of Lay's world--which, on the other hand, the book is pretty short, less than 200 pages before notes. So, useful, just not my fave kind of history.
It was still an interesting book, and can be useful for disrupting narratives around enslavement and abolition in the colonial period. It was just limited by the documentary record and the avenues that Rediker chose to focus on, and I think could have been expanded in a couple of ways that would have let us see the richness of Lay's world--which, on the other hand, the book is pretty short, less than 200 pages before notes. So, useful, just not my fave kind of history.
September 1, 2020
My rating is not a reflection on Benjamin Lay, but of a poorly written book. I found it to be very repetitive and felt the author should have written more of his own sentences instead of having practically every one contain a quote. At times, this felt more like a summary of Lay's book, All slave-keepers that keep the innocent in bondage, apostates pretending to lay claim to the pure & holy Christian religion; of what congregation so ever; but especially in their ministers.
June 6, 2020
In an admiring and affectionate biography, Rediker tells the remarkable story of a singular individual—a Quaker hunchbacked dwarf who, in the first half of the 18th century, devoted his life to demanding the total, unconditional emancipation of all enslaved Africans around the world. In addition to spending years at sea as a sailor, he worked as a shepherd, glove maker, and bookseller. His worldview evolved in an astonishing amalgam of Quakerism, vegetarianism, animal rights, opposition to the death penalty, and abolitionism. Unflinching in his opposition to slavery, Lay berated fellow Quakers who refused to embrace abolition, and frequently performed colorful guerrilla theater to shame slave masters, insisting that human bondage violated the fundamental principles of Christianity. A well-read autodidact, Lay was a philosopher who created a revolutionary way of life. Adopting an ascetic lifestyle, rejecting materialism and cruelty to all living things, Lay lived in a cave for the last third of his life, subsisting on the fruit and vegetables he grew, and refused to ride horses or wear leather. It is impossible to not share Rediker’s admiration for this extraordinarily compassionate and humane character, one of the most fascinating and inspiring I have ever encountered in a biography.
May 10, 2024
This was an interesting and informative read. I thought the first half was better than the second. It was interesting to read of his life and his philosophy. A good deal of the second half, though, would present his writings, and then spend pages interpreting and providing possible inspirations for those words; his words were fairly straight forward, though, so it sometimes felt like the interpretations were unnecessary and just filling pages. There was also a lot of information about the lives of people he knew or admired, which I found tedious and skipped a lot of. It could be interesting information to learn about the culture of the time at large, but I picked this up to learn about Lay. It also bounced back and forth in time quite a bit.
April 29, 2023
A firebrand and a man who lived his beliefs! Probably one of the original Quaker abolitionists in a time when shockingly Quakers owned slaves! I learned a lot about human frailty and fealty in this book! Lay was a force to be reckoned with and he didn’t go away quietly! I admire him! I gave the book 4 stars because I would have liked more than one chapter devoted to his impact on the wider movement. I don’t believe the author is a Christian so he seemed to have obsessed about Lays cynic philosophy lived out rather than his devotion to The Living God. Nevertheless, an interesting story about a radical abolitionist who stood utterly alone, with the exception of the support of his wife.
June 7, 2022
A beautifully written piece of micro-history that not only totally engrosses you into the life of Benjamin Lay, but also proves the importance of militancy in everyday life, regardless of whether you are living in revolutionary times or not. On top of this, it highlights the significance of proletarian existence in the creation of the abolitionist movement, challenging scholars who present abolitionism as a middle-class movement achieved through 'presentable' means. Thank you Marcus Rediker!
December 31, 2024
3.5. Occasionally repetitive, and the acronym-filled sections about various Quaker meeting houses sometimes felt tedious, but if you like history or religion or radical politics, this is a great introduction to an early American thinker, activist, and performance artist who deserves to be much more widely known.
December 13, 2022
Great book about a cool guy!!
January 7, 2023
A story of a working class radical who shook people up and was before his time in many ways. Left a mark for centuries with how he lived his life. Will stick with me for a long time.
July 20, 2019
An amazing biography of such an important early abolitionist, who had been relatively unknown until this book was published. His life story should be adapted to film.
November 15, 2024
A historical biography and reflection on the life of an inspiring and caring man that lived 3 centuries ago. Following his fascinating life to the climax of his impact on the abolitionist movement, this is a very interesting (and well written) journey, especially if you like history, as there are many touchpoints with other historical events (such as the English revolution). Overall I thought it was a good and short read.
January 13, 2019
I've read several books by Marcus Rediker over the years. And I swear, each one just gets better. This was an amazing read. I'd never heard of Benjamin Lay but Rediker's description of him coming to a Quaker meeting then simultaneously damning those Quakers who enslaved and traded in Africans while slamming his sword down in the middle of his Bible appearing to spray Christ's blood all over those gathered was fucking amazing! A brilliant piece of street theatre! (He had hallowed out his bible and put a sac with berry juice in it!) Lay was an anti-racist activist motivated by his experiences and faith that called on him to not only condemn the institution of slavery, but act on that moral position. He did this decades before the abolitionist movement really took shape.
Annnnyyyway, Lay was completely disowned and excommunicated by the Quakers. In his heroic biography, Rediker in some literary activism of today, was able to get each of the four Quaker meetings that disowned him to reinstate Lay based on his historical research and biography. Another brilliant move by a people's historian! I highly recommend this book. Not long, very accessible, and very entertaining. A fascinating history. I never knew so much about the Quakers until after reading this. Do it! Don't delay. Read it.
Annnnyyyway, Lay was completely disowned and excommunicated by the Quakers. In his heroic biography, Rediker in some literary activism of today, was able to get each of the four Quaker meetings that disowned him to reinstate Lay based on his historical research and biography. Another brilliant move by a people's historian! I highly recommend this book. Not long, very accessible, and very entertaining. A fascinating history. I never knew so much about the Quakers until after reading this. Do it! Don't delay. Read it.
November 4, 2022
A quick and fascinating read about a larger-than-life, smaller-than-average Quaker abolitionist. Heavy focus on his role within 18th century Quakerism, does a good job of setting historical context, and makes a strong argument for his influence in the abolitionist movement. Implicitly raises some interesting questions about self-righteousness and protest, I thought. Rediker does a good job of tying Lay to his religious and philosophical roots (I felt very vindicated in my early comparisons between Lay and Diogenes!), though I personally would have enjoyed having that fleshed out a bit more. Chances are if you're interested in this book to begin with, it will not disappoint.
September 9, 2018
Imagine this: a hunchbacked dwarf living in early Enlightenment-era England, variously a farmhand, shepherd and glovemaker, but also a devoted autodidact gifted with great intelligence who despite his station in life becomes not only literate but highly-educated. Passionate and outspoken, he often dominates local meetings of the Society of Friends, flirting with antinomianism and distinguising himself as a Quaker radical, often an outcast, publicly rebuking authority and earning the antipathy of the established order. He then becomes a sailor and, later settling as a merchant in Barbados, is so appalled by the human chattel slavery he encounters there that he adopts a fierce life-long antislavery stance that admits no toleration for anything short of abolition. Next, he makes his way to Philadelphia, where his troublesome nature again emerges, underscored by his unrelenting brand of antislavery agitation that alienates fellow Quakers, many of whom are slaveowners, most famously when he punctuates an annual Friends meeting by delivering a bellicose jeremiad against slavery and then plunging a sword into a Bible packed with a bladder of red pokeberry juice—a simulation of blood—that splatters those in attendance nearby! He writes a number of pamphlets denouncing slavery, as well as a rambling but impassioned book that is published by no less a figure than Benjamin Franklin. Ever self-righteous, obnoxious, curmudgeonly, he is also a wealthy eccentric who eschews materialism, and is well-known to his community as a philanthropist, a strict vegetarian, and a man utterly intolerant of slavery. He marries, but after his wife’s death becomes even more zealous in his adherence to his radical faith, in his pursuit of justice, and in his crusade for abolition, as well as in campaigns against animal cruelty, capital punishment, the prison system, and the hypocrisy of the affluent elite. He closes out his life devoted to absolute self-sustenance, keeping goats, nurturing fruit trees, and growing flax that he spins into his own clothing, making his home in solitude in a cave with his collection of over two hundred books.
Okay, you have imagined it: could you suspend disbelief long enough to read a novel or watch a film based on a fellow like that? Well, this is no flight of fictional fancy but the actual tale of a truly extraordinary figure named Benjamin Lay (1682-1759) who somehow has managed to be remembered as little more than a footnote to history—on the rare occasions when he has been remembered at all. Historian Marcus Rediker—author of The Slave Ship and The Amistad Rebellion—seeks to resurrect this remarkable character from oblivion with his latest book, The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist.
In this effort, Rediker largely succeeds, and in the process brings the talent of a skilled historian to bear as he sketches out the ground that the adult Lay walked upon in the early-to-mid-eighteenth century, a milieu largely unfamiliar to many readers, with fascinating glimpses of England, Barbados and colonial Pennsylvania in a transformative era that rarely receives appropriate scrutiny. Because so much of Lay’s identity was wrapped up in his religious fervor, the author treats us to a study of the evolution of Quakerism—including its peculiarities and its many internal revolts—on both sides of the Atlantic. Absent this background, Lay’s outrageous behavior—and it was indeed often outrageous—would seem to defy the boundaries of sanity. In fact, Lay was just the most recent actor to emerge in a tradition of antinominalist dissent—albeit an extreme incarnation—who with his carefully choreographed public protests not only danced at the edges of decorum but stomped upon any vestiges of it. That he cloaked his polemics in theatrics brought wide attention to his message, while provoking loud rebuke from those he routinely offended. Outwardly flamboyant, even crude, Lay’s frequently offensive performance art was a thin disguise upon the true heart of a reformer deeply offended by cruelty, injustice, hypocrisy and the widespread betrayal of what he believed Quaker Christianity should be all about.
Lay’s strict vegetarianism, as well as his opposition to animal cruelty, the prison system, and capital punishment—all of this distinguished him as a truly unusual individual for his time, further underscored by the fact that what had to have been the handicap of dwarfism in that era seems to have placed no brake on his behavior as he publicly campaigned for justice: hardly more than four feet tall, he ever played an outsize role in his community. But it was, of course, with his uncompromising antislavery agitation and demands for abolition that Lay left his mark on history. A century after his death, while the antislavery movement had gained wider traction, true abolitionists were still in a very tiny minority in the United States. In Lay’s own time, his voice must have been a very lonely echo indeed. At the close of the eighteenth century, near the end of his long life, Benjamin Franklin and fellow Quakers took a public stand against slavery, but—as Rediker makes pains to point out—Franklin’s own position on slavery was often manifested in ambivalence. That certainly could not be said of Lay, who never wavered in his insistence that chattel slavery was a great evil that represented a sin against man and God. Benjamin Franklin has been much-celebrated, but it was not he who penned one of the very earliest antislavery tracts in colonial America, but rather his friend Benjamin Lay, although the young Franklin can be credited for publishing Lay’s opus, All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates in 1737.
If there is a flaw in The Fearless Benjamin Lay it is that while extremely well-written it is clearly directed at a scholarly audience, with all of the strengths and weaknesses that implies. Lay lived such a colorful life that with virtually no embellishment his story should read like a James Michener novel. Alas, the typical limitations for academic writing in structure and prose means that the narrative frequently succumbs to dull passages even as it never falls short in fleshing out the man that Benjamin Lay was and adroitly recreating the age he inhabited. On the flip side, there are copious notes and little doubt that Rediker’s finished work is firmly rooted in both best practices and the appropriate historiography. In the final analysis, I recommend this book for restoring from anonymity an intriguing figure who is especially deserving of recognition for taking a radical stand against slavery long before more than a handful of others would join in. And since the versatile Rediker also works in film, I would like to advocate that he next produce a documentary for general release that will bring the fascinating life and times of Benjamin Lay to a much wider audience.
[Note: A digital edition of Lay’s book All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates can be accessed online at no charge at https://antislavery.eserver.org/relig...]
Review of: The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist, by Marcus Rediker https://regarp.com/2018/09/09/review-...
Okay, you have imagined it: could you suspend disbelief long enough to read a novel or watch a film based on a fellow like that? Well, this is no flight of fictional fancy but the actual tale of a truly extraordinary figure named Benjamin Lay (1682-1759) who somehow has managed to be remembered as little more than a footnote to history—on the rare occasions when he has been remembered at all. Historian Marcus Rediker—author of The Slave Ship and The Amistad Rebellion—seeks to resurrect this remarkable character from oblivion with his latest book, The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist.
In this effort, Rediker largely succeeds, and in the process brings the talent of a skilled historian to bear as he sketches out the ground that the adult Lay walked upon in the early-to-mid-eighteenth century, a milieu largely unfamiliar to many readers, with fascinating glimpses of England, Barbados and colonial Pennsylvania in a transformative era that rarely receives appropriate scrutiny. Because so much of Lay’s identity was wrapped up in his religious fervor, the author treats us to a study of the evolution of Quakerism—including its peculiarities and its many internal revolts—on both sides of the Atlantic. Absent this background, Lay’s outrageous behavior—and it was indeed often outrageous—would seem to defy the boundaries of sanity. In fact, Lay was just the most recent actor to emerge in a tradition of antinominalist dissent—albeit an extreme incarnation—who with his carefully choreographed public protests not only danced at the edges of decorum but stomped upon any vestiges of it. That he cloaked his polemics in theatrics brought wide attention to his message, while provoking loud rebuke from those he routinely offended. Outwardly flamboyant, even crude, Lay’s frequently offensive performance art was a thin disguise upon the true heart of a reformer deeply offended by cruelty, injustice, hypocrisy and the widespread betrayal of what he believed Quaker Christianity should be all about.
Lay’s strict vegetarianism, as well as his opposition to animal cruelty, the prison system, and capital punishment—all of this distinguished him as a truly unusual individual for his time, further underscored by the fact that what had to have been the handicap of dwarfism in that era seems to have placed no brake on his behavior as he publicly campaigned for justice: hardly more than four feet tall, he ever played an outsize role in his community. But it was, of course, with his uncompromising antislavery agitation and demands for abolition that Lay left his mark on history. A century after his death, while the antislavery movement had gained wider traction, true abolitionists were still in a very tiny minority in the United States. In Lay’s own time, his voice must have been a very lonely echo indeed. At the close of the eighteenth century, near the end of his long life, Benjamin Franklin and fellow Quakers took a public stand against slavery, but—as Rediker makes pains to point out—Franklin’s own position on slavery was often manifested in ambivalence. That certainly could not be said of Lay, who never wavered in his insistence that chattel slavery was a great evil that represented a sin against man and God. Benjamin Franklin has been much-celebrated, but it was not he who penned one of the very earliest antislavery tracts in colonial America, but rather his friend Benjamin Lay, although the young Franklin can be credited for publishing Lay’s opus, All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates in 1737.
If there is a flaw in The Fearless Benjamin Lay it is that while extremely well-written it is clearly directed at a scholarly audience, with all of the strengths and weaknesses that implies. Lay lived such a colorful life that with virtually no embellishment his story should read like a James Michener novel. Alas, the typical limitations for academic writing in structure and prose means that the narrative frequently succumbs to dull passages even as it never falls short in fleshing out the man that Benjamin Lay was and adroitly recreating the age he inhabited. On the flip side, there are copious notes and little doubt that Rediker’s finished work is firmly rooted in both best practices and the appropriate historiography. In the final analysis, I recommend this book for restoring from anonymity an intriguing figure who is especially deserving of recognition for taking a radical stand against slavery long before more than a handful of others would join in. And since the versatile Rediker also works in film, I would like to advocate that he next produce a documentary for general release that will bring the fascinating life and times of Benjamin Lay to a much wider audience.
[Note: A digital edition of Lay’s book All Slave-Keepers That Keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates can be accessed online at no charge at https://antislavery.eserver.org/relig...]
Review of: The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist, by Marcus Rediker https://regarp.com/2018/09/09/review-...
September 26, 2017
This was an excellent biography. I profiled its author, Marcus Rediker, in this Pacific Standard feature: https://psmag.com/education/quaker-dw...
December 3, 2023
Marcus Rediker is a professor of Atlantic history at the University of Pittsburgh. Rediker was educated at Virginia Commonwealth University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree and the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his Master’s and Ph.D. in History. Dr. Rediker’s other notable works include, The Slave Ship: A Human History in 2007 and Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age in 2004. Dr. Rediker is qualified to write on the subject of Benjamin Lay.
Dr. Rediker has written a history that an unsuspecting reader might think is fiction or satire if it weren’t for the sources. Benjamin Lay was an outspoken abolitionist Quaker dwarf, infamous not simply for going against the grain but for being so radical that he was disowned by four of his respective fellowships on two different continents. Lay risked everything to oppose slavery at a time when it was extremely unpopular, making him the first revolutionary abolitionist.
Born to a Quaker family in Essex, Benjamin Lay, a dwarf, made up for his short stature with a personality so big that he made waves across the Atlantic. Lay likely was not formally educated and therefore had to rely on his own ambition to learn. The Quakers that preceded him were famous for their antics and Lay was likely inspired by the street theater of James Nayler. During Lay’s time, the Quakers had been issued a time of pacifism by leader George Fox that changed Quakerism. Lay fought against Fox’s ideas his whole life with his radical antinomian views.
Lay wore (and didn’t doff) many hats throughout his life. He was a shepherd on his half brother’s farm as a young man. Later he would be sent to apprentice as a glove maker, something he hated. He ran off to become a sailor in London when he was 21. Sailing suited Lay and he became well-traveled during his tenure as a sailor. Later he would become a bookseller but it was sailing that led him to develop his abolitionist views after seeing first hand the detriments of slavery.
Lay met his wife Sarah while sailing. She was a dwarf as well and a respected minister in her own right. Lay’s criticisms of Quaker ministers and frequent outbursts during sermons led him to be “disowned” by his Quaker fellowship. He requested a marriage license so he could marry Sarah but they wouldn’t give it to him unless he apologized for his outbursts. Lay gave half hearted apologies much to the dismay of his community but they relented, allowing the marriage. The Lays quickly moved to Barbados where they witnessed slavery in the most brutal way. The Lays cared for and fed the enslaved people, much to the dismay of the settlers of Barbados.
The Lays moved back to London briefly but Benjamin was quickly at odds with the community for publicly criticizing the pastors. Refusing to apologize, he and Sarah moved back to Essex. In Colchester, Lay was at it again and was disowned within three months of his return. Lay was so controversial and his protesting had become so frequent that he was kept out of meetings by physical force. The Lay’s desired to live in Pennsylvania but wouldn’t be issued a certificate unless he apologized for his actions. He appealed for forgiveness from his communities in Colchester and London but was met with reluctance. Finally, he was cleared from all offenses in 1731 allowing the Lay’s to move to Pennsylvania.
When the Lays arrived in Pennsylvania, they immediately began to oppose slavery. Quaker leaders in Philadelphia, like John Kinsey, largely owned slaves, although slavery was less severe than in Barbados. Lay found anti-slavery comrades in Ralph Sandiford whose death caused him to become even more impassioned for the cause. Lay proclaimed his message of “no justice, no peace” and Quaker hypocrisy in slave ownership, getting him into trouble with his fellow Quakers in Philadelphia. It was at this time that the Colchester Meeting group from back in England began to pursue him from abroad, seeking to end his radical message by the revocation of his certificate. They conspired with the Philadelphia group and with the help of John Kinsey, Lay was stripped of his certificate and disowned for the fourth and final time.
Sarah died not long after and Lay blamed her death on Kinsey, covertly equating him with evil in the book that he wrote shortly after her death. Lay’s book was published by Benjamin Franklin but was not easy to read. It wasn’t organized well and Lay was aware and vocal of its shortcomings. The book was a cacophony of scripture, autobiography, scriptural exegesis, but also contained deeply revealing anecdotes about slavery. The book was largely ignored as Kinsey made sure that everyone knew that it wasn’t official Quaker doctrine. Lay continued working in print and bookselling throughout his life, acquiring possibly the biggest American collection of original writings of the first generation of Quakers.
A footnote on his activism, Lay was also an animal rights activist and vegetarian thanks to the influence of Thomas Tryon. He labored to live a life without violence and ultimately began to rethink humanity’s most fundamental relationship to nature. In this way, to prevent himself from taking part in unfree labor and animal cruelty, he became completely self-sufficient, eating only what he grew and wearing only what he made himself.
For forty-one years, Lay gave diligent testimony against slavery. He would go on to outlive most of the powerful Quakers that he equated as working for the antichrist, including Kinsey. With their deaths, a new group of Quaker leaders would take over, the majority of whom would adopt anti-slavery and abolitionist sentiments. Although the legacy and impact of Lay is hard to determine, Rediker makes it clear that he should be viewed as the first revolutionary abolitionist.
Rediker employs a plethora of primary sources in piecing together Lay’s story. He uses journals, quaker meeting minutes, and records to great effect. He also employs many other historian’s work on the subject. Again, I absolutely loved this book. Benjamin Lay’s radical antics often had me laughing but endeared at the same time. Although certainly a scholarly work, it is accessible for anyone interested in radical thought, abolitionism, or Atlantic history.
Dr. Rediker has written a history that an unsuspecting reader might think is fiction or satire if it weren’t for the sources. Benjamin Lay was an outspoken abolitionist Quaker dwarf, infamous not simply for going against the grain but for being so radical that he was disowned by four of his respective fellowships on two different continents. Lay risked everything to oppose slavery at a time when it was extremely unpopular, making him the first revolutionary abolitionist.
Born to a Quaker family in Essex, Benjamin Lay, a dwarf, made up for his short stature with a personality so big that he made waves across the Atlantic. Lay likely was not formally educated and therefore had to rely on his own ambition to learn. The Quakers that preceded him were famous for their antics and Lay was likely inspired by the street theater of James Nayler. During Lay’s time, the Quakers had been issued a time of pacifism by leader George Fox that changed Quakerism. Lay fought against Fox’s ideas his whole life with his radical antinomian views.
Lay wore (and didn’t doff) many hats throughout his life. He was a shepherd on his half brother’s farm as a young man. Later he would be sent to apprentice as a glove maker, something he hated. He ran off to become a sailor in London when he was 21. Sailing suited Lay and he became well-traveled during his tenure as a sailor. Later he would become a bookseller but it was sailing that led him to develop his abolitionist views after seeing first hand the detriments of slavery.
Lay met his wife Sarah while sailing. She was a dwarf as well and a respected minister in her own right. Lay’s criticisms of Quaker ministers and frequent outbursts during sermons led him to be “disowned” by his Quaker fellowship. He requested a marriage license so he could marry Sarah but they wouldn’t give it to him unless he apologized for his outbursts. Lay gave half hearted apologies much to the dismay of his community but they relented, allowing the marriage. The Lays quickly moved to Barbados where they witnessed slavery in the most brutal way. The Lays cared for and fed the enslaved people, much to the dismay of the settlers of Barbados.
The Lays moved back to London briefly but Benjamin was quickly at odds with the community for publicly criticizing the pastors. Refusing to apologize, he and Sarah moved back to Essex. In Colchester, Lay was at it again and was disowned within three months of his return. Lay was so controversial and his protesting had become so frequent that he was kept out of meetings by physical force. The Lay’s desired to live in Pennsylvania but wouldn’t be issued a certificate unless he apologized for his actions. He appealed for forgiveness from his communities in Colchester and London but was met with reluctance. Finally, he was cleared from all offenses in 1731 allowing the Lay’s to move to Pennsylvania.
When the Lays arrived in Pennsylvania, they immediately began to oppose slavery. Quaker leaders in Philadelphia, like John Kinsey, largely owned slaves, although slavery was less severe than in Barbados. Lay found anti-slavery comrades in Ralph Sandiford whose death caused him to become even more impassioned for the cause. Lay proclaimed his message of “no justice, no peace” and Quaker hypocrisy in slave ownership, getting him into trouble with his fellow Quakers in Philadelphia. It was at this time that the Colchester Meeting group from back in England began to pursue him from abroad, seeking to end his radical message by the revocation of his certificate. They conspired with the Philadelphia group and with the help of John Kinsey, Lay was stripped of his certificate and disowned for the fourth and final time.
Sarah died not long after and Lay blamed her death on Kinsey, covertly equating him with evil in the book that he wrote shortly after her death. Lay’s book was published by Benjamin Franklin but was not easy to read. It wasn’t organized well and Lay was aware and vocal of its shortcomings. The book was a cacophony of scripture, autobiography, scriptural exegesis, but also contained deeply revealing anecdotes about slavery. The book was largely ignored as Kinsey made sure that everyone knew that it wasn’t official Quaker doctrine. Lay continued working in print and bookselling throughout his life, acquiring possibly the biggest American collection of original writings of the first generation of Quakers.
A footnote on his activism, Lay was also an animal rights activist and vegetarian thanks to the influence of Thomas Tryon. He labored to live a life without violence and ultimately began to rethink humanity’s most fundamental relationship to nature. In this way, to prevent himself from taking part in unfree labor and animal cruelty, he became completely self-sufficient, eating only what he grew and wearing only what he made himself.
For forty-one years, Lay gave diligent testimony against slavery. He would go on to outlive most of the powerful Quakers that he equated as working for the antichrist, including Kinsey. With their deaths, a new group of Quaker leaders would take over, the majority of whom would adopt anti-slavery and abolitionist sentiments. Although the legacy and impact of Lay is hard to determine, Rediker makes it clear that he should be viewed as the first revolutionary abolitionist.
Rediker employs a plethora of primary sources in piecing together Lay’s story. He uses journals, quaker meeting minutes, and records to great effect. He also employs many other historian’s work on the subject. Again, I absolutely loved this book. Benjamin Lay’s radical antics often had me laughing but endeared at the same time. Although certainly a scholarly work, it is accessible for anyone interested in radical thought, abolitionism, or Atlantic history.
May 3, 2019
I ended up loving this biography although it had some challenging aspects. The author is a scholar and his writing style was very straightforward in an "this is what happened" kind of way. Also, he repeated information a lot. I mean A LOT. To the point that I actually wondered if I was clairvoyant! lol Quite a few times I thought "didn't I read that a while back?" If so, why isn't a new perspective added on that info?
But having said that..... Benjamin Lay is a figure like no other I've heard of, and his part in the anti-slavery movement, and also as a Quaker, is fascinating and I'm glad to have gotten to know his story. The 2nd half of the story, when we got into the meat of his connections and understood what influences molded him, was very engaging. I had no problem continuing on despite the writing style. I would recommend this book to those interested in the story of slavery at the forming of our country, and the birth of the abolitionist movement, and to American colonial history buffs in general.
But having said that..... Benjamin Lay is a figure like no other I've heard of, and his part in the anti-slavery movement, and also as a Quaker, is fascinating and I'm glad to have gotten to know his story. The 2nd half of the story, when we got into the meat of his connections and understood what influences molded him, was very engaging. I had no problem continuing on despite the writing style. I would recommend this book to those interested in the story of slavery at the forming of our country, and the birth of the abolitionist movement, and to American colonial history buffs in general.
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